Chapter 52: Doubt
Thompson just shook his head in pity for his boss.
The drive back to the mansion was filled with tension. At some point, he didn’t know if Kathe’s anger was due to jealousy or because Jark had kept her waiting, but he couldn’t deny that it all led back to jealousy.
To ease the tension in the car, he looked at her through the driver’s front mirror with a smile on his face.
"Ma’am, are you sure you don’t want to try somewhere else for something different?"
But there was no response from Kathe, who was busy staring outside the car window. Just when he decided to give up on the conversation, she suddenly asked him a question, though her eyes were still fixed outside the window.
"Is there a gallery I mean, a drawing room in the mansion?" she explained.
"Yes, there is."
Seeing that the road was less busy with cars, he turned to her with a smile.
"Do you draw?"
"Sometimes."
Her response came sharp and blunt.
Seeing that she was not in the mood to continue the conversation, Thompson focused on driving. The earlier tension had already faded away.
They finally arrived at the mansion.
Immediately they stepped inside the mansion, Kathe turned to Thompson, whose hands were filled with all the things they had bought at the mall.
"Lead me to the gallery."
"Huh?"
Thompson was speechless. Although he wasn’t the one who had gone shopping, he was already tired. Yet she wanted to go straight to the gallery.
He suddenly lit a candle in his heart for his boss.
’It’s better to make a dog jealous than a lady.’
"I thought you said there was a gallery in the mansion," Kathe said, noticing Thompson staring blankly into space.
Thompson quickly came back to his senses. This time, he was more composed.
"Yes, there is. But won’t you rest for a while before going to the gallery?"
"I’m not tired. Just take me there," Kathe insisted.
Thompson nodded and led her to the gallery.
As they walked through the narrow passage, Kathe suddenly realized she had never been to that part of the mansion before.
She kept looking around the mansion.
Finally, they arrived at the drawing room.
The first thing that caught Kathe’s eyes was the rich oil painting hanging on the wall. Without anyone telling her, she could identify that it was the old lady.
Beside the old lady’s painting was that of a young man. At first glance, he looked like Jark, but after taking a closer look, she realized that he wasn’t Jark. His eyes didn’t have the coldness that could be found in Jark’s.
After exploring the gallery for a while, she needed a place to sit down and draw.
When she turned around, she was surprised to find Thompson still standing at the door.
"You can leave."
"Okay, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know."
"It’s okay."
She waved her hand at him. She really needed some space alone to concentrate on her drawing.
Thompson nodded before leaving the room.
Kathe turned her attention back to the paintings displayed around the room. Every piece was well detailed, but the most eye-catching ones were the portraits of the old lady and the young man.
She couldn’t help but admire the artist in her heart.
"This person has a unique talent for drawing. If each piece were to be auctioned, they would fetch millions of dollars."
She found a fresh canvas, a palette, and a paintbrush, then began to draw.
The first thing that came to her mind was the back view of Jark and Seline.
She didn’t know why, but she started drawing, her eyes burning with anger.
Her attention was so focused on the painting that she didn’t notice the old lady standing quietly beside her, observing every movement.
"I didn’t know you could draw."
The brush slipped from Kathe’s hand as she turned around in fright.
"Grandma..."
Kathe lowered her head as she remembered the old lady’s earlier threat.
The old lady scoffed and took a step closer.
"You don’t have to worry. I’m not after that for now, but I’ll make sure to get my revenge soon. You can pass the message to that old fox too. Or did you think it would be that easy to fool this old lady?"
Burning with embarrassment, Kathe tried to defend herself.
"No, Grandma. We just..."
The old lady waved her hand, interrupting her halfway.
"I’m not interested in your unconvincing excuse."
She walked closer to Kathe, her eyes fixed on the painting.
"You shouldn’t grip the brush so tightly."
"Huh?"
Kathe wasn’t expecting the old lady to notice such a tiny mistake.
Ignoring the shock on Kathe’s face, the old lady picked up another brush and placed it in her hand.
Kathe understood that the old lady wanted to guide her.
"Relax your grip a little."
The old lady gave Kathe a light tap on the arm.
"Then sketch."
She gently guided Kathe’s hand toward the rough edges.
Seeing that Kathe adapted quickly, she let go of her hand and simply advised,
"Let it flow naturally. Don’t force it. Just let it flow."
Kathe found herself completely immersed in the old lady’s guidance.
After adding the final touches to her drawing, she was surprised by the outcome.
Kathe widened her eyes at the old lady, then looked at the paintings hanging on the wall before turning back to her.
"Grandma, did you draw all..."
The old lady shook her head with a smile, knowing what Kathe was about to ask.
"No, I didn’t."
"Then who?"
Kathe put the brush down and turned to the old lady curiously.
The old lady picked up her walking stick. With a sigh, she walked toward the portrait, her shoulders dropping.
"You always remind me of her. At first, I overlooked it, but seeing your drawing today reminded me of her."
The old lady’s thoughts drifted back to a beautiful young lady who had once sat fearlessly before the elites and painted an oil portrait of her, along with a few other people, without making a single mistake. Her talent was unmatched.
Then her mind wandered to how mischievous the young lady had been, her cunning tricks forcing the old lady into a huge bet that made her lose a million dollars to her.
A smile curled across the old lady’s wrinkled face.
Kathe could feel the emotions in her voice just by listening to her.
Just then, the old lady’s expression changed into a sorrowful one, making Kathe even more curious.
"Such beauty... and such talent."
The old lady sighed once again before returning to her seat.
The room fell quiet for a few seconds, but Kathe’s curiosity only grew stronger.
"Where is she now?"
The old lady stared at one of the paintings, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Some say she’s dead. Some say the fish devoured her. Some say she’s gone into hiding. But I still feel she’s around."
As she spoke, it suddenly seemed as though something clicked in her mind.
She turned back to Kathe.
"Forget that I ever compared you to her. This old lady is getting old."
She pointed at herself, and both of them laughed.
"Enough of my old stories."
She turned her attention back to the painting.
"Although it’s only the back view, I can tell who that is. But the lady beside him isn’t you."
The old lady gave Kathe a meaningful look.
Kathe lowered her head in embarrassment.
She hadn’t wanted the old lady to find out, but her anger had overwhelmed her, causing her to unknowingly pour all her emotions into the painting.
The old lady narrowed her eyes at the lady in the painting.
"And the lady beside him looks familiar."
"Grandma, do you know her?"
The old lady looked at Kathe in silence.
Kathe quickly avoided her gaze.
It felt as though the old lady could see right through her.
"Are you doubting your husband?"
Kathe quickly shook her head.
"No, I’m not."
The old lady paused, studying Kathe’s expression.
"I’ve lived for decades. I know when a woman has doubts."
"It’s just a little misunderstanding," Kathe replied, looking down at her fingers.
The old lady nodded, taking her eyes off Kathe.
"I hope so. Do you know what destroys most relationships these days?"
"No."
"I thought as much."
She rested both hands on her walking stick before turning to Kathe.
"The first is a lack of trust. In a relationship, both partners should trust each other."
She paused again to study Kathe’s expression before continuing in a stern voice,
"And I don’t want to see the two of you doubting each other. Learn to communicate openly with him before jumping to conclusions."
"Thank you very much, Grandma."
"So, do you admit now that you were doubting him?"
"It was just a little doubt."
Kathe smiled at herself sheepishly.
How could she have hidden anything from the old lady’s sharp eyes?
"It happens. Don’t worry. You’ll find out who she is soon enough."
"Grandma, who is she?"
"Let me go and get some tea. Then I’ll challenge you to a drawing competition."
The old lady stood up, deliberately avoiding Kathe’s question.